Kael sat at his desk, staring at the computer screen in front of him. The suspension meant he had plenty of time to work on the project with Aurora, but it also meant he'd be stuck at home while everyone else was at school. He sighed, wondering how it would feel to have a normal day again.
The doorbell rang, pulling him from his thoughts. He quickly stood up, opening the door to find Aurora standing there, clutching a notebook to her chest. She looked shy as usual, her eyes avoiding his.
"Hey, Aurora," Kael said with a small smile. "Come on in."
Aurora gave a hesitant nod and stepped inside, looking around nervously. "Thanks for inviting me over," she said softly, still not meeting his gaze.
"No problem," Kael replied, leading her to his room. "I figured since we're both stuck at home, we can at least get some work done on the project."
Aurora nodded again and sat at the edge of the bed, opening her notebook. She took a deep breath and glanced at Kael, then quickly focused on the paper in front of her, her cheeks flushed.
Kael opened the project document on his laptop. The paper they had to write was small, just a brief overview of the war between Heaven and Hell, but the information they needed to fit in was dense. As he started typing, Aurora watched him closely, barely saying a word.
After a while, Kael noticed that Aurora wasn't looking at the screen, but rather at the paper they were working on. She was leaning in a little, trying to get a better view, but the paper was small, and it was clear she wasn't quite able to make out the words from her seat.
Without thinking, Kael moved the paper closer to himself, and then Aurora shifted slightly, leaning in even closer until her head gently rested on Kael's shoulder. She froze, as though she hadn't expected to be so close to him, and for a moment, neither of them moved.
Kael's heart raced in his chest, but he did his best to stay calm. Aurora seemed to be focusing on the paper, her breath soft against his shoulder. The silence in the room was almost too much, but neither of them spoke. Kael's mind raced with thoughts he wasn't sure how to handle, especially with her so close.
As they continued working, Kael noticed that Aurora didn't pull away. She stayed there, focused on the project, as if it were the only thing that mattered.
The quietness between them felt comfortable, but Kael could sense that Aurora's shyness made everything more complicated.
End of Chapter 39